Self-care, including personal care and looking after your physical and mental health, is really important for maintaining your wellbeing, especially during times of stress or when you may be feeling overwhelmed.

By recognising and responding to your needs—whether through rest, healthy routines, or enjoyable activities—you can improve your mood, relationships, and long-term mental health.

Learning to look after your hygiene (self-care) is an important step in becoming independent.  It also helps you stay healthy. As you get older your body will start to go through changes known as puberty. Puberty usually occurs between the ages of 8 and 14 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys.

During puberty you will develop larger sweat glands. You skin may become noticeably oily. Sweat glands release sweat in response to stress, emotion, and excitement. This increase in sweat can cause body odour. The increase in oils can lead to greasy hair and spots on face and body. These changes can take some getting used and they make you feel anxious and self-conscious.  

Remember to regularly: 

  • Wash your hands
  • Wash your body and face
  • Wash and brush your hair
  • Brushing your teeth

Daily washing routine

  • Wash your face in the morning and evening.
  • Take a shower or bath at least once a day, using soap or shower gel to clean your skin. 
  • Remember to wash your underarms and feet thoroughly using a soap. 
  • Use plain water or an emollient (e.g E45, dermol) to wash genitals. Using soap can be drying. 
  • Use deodorant or antiperspirant under your armpits. 
  • If you wear make-up, remove this before bed using a gentle cleanser. 
  • Brush your teeth twice a day and floss regularly. 
  • After doing such a good job of getting your body clean, remember that putting on clean clothes or getting into bedding that is washed regularly is also important.

Toothbrushing:

Taking care of your teeth is not just about staying healthy – it will help you feel confident, fresh, and ready for whatever the day brings. It is important to brush your teeth daily cleaning between your teeth because it removes plaque and bacteria. If plaque is not removed, it can build up which can cause tooth decay and gum disease. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day. Toothbrushes do need regular replacement (every 3-4 months) or when you can see the bristles are worn or frayed.

As you get older, your healthy sleep habits will change. You will have different sleep requirements now, but you still need good habits to help you sleep. 

Find some ideas in Sleep Better, Feel Better on improving sleep patterns for Primary School children

Ideas for Secondary Age school children

You will have more responsibilities at secondary school to complete schoolwork etc.  This may mean working later into the evening.  Puberty impacts sleep and your ‘circadian rhythm’ which is your internal clock and helps your body know when it’s time to sleep or wake up.

There are some important habits that can help you get a good night’s sleep:

  • Limiting screen use before bed.
  • Removing screens (e.g. phone, iPad, laptop, television) from the bedroom.
  • Do not drink caffeine (tea, coffee, coke/energy drinks) in the evening hours.
  • Try and get some physical activity every day.
  • Relaxation strategies can help for example: Relaxation techniques | Anna Freud
  • Low lights and relaxing music in the bedroom.
  • Try to have a healthy snack (e.g. nuts, cheese, banana) 1 hour before bedtime
  • You make like to try a sound machine which plays relaxing sounds or music.
  • Try light reducing shades or curtains for a darker sleep environment to help your body know it’s time to sleep.
  • Try and stick to the same routine in the week and on the weekends (tricky but it will help!).

The following advice has been taken from the NHS Website.

How much physical activity should children and young people aged 5 to 18 do to keep healthy?

Children and young people need to do 2 types of physical activity each week:

  • aerobic exercise
  • exercises to strengthen their muscles and bones

Children and young people aged 5 to 18 should:

  • aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity a day across the week
  • take part in a variety of types and intensities of physical activity across the week to develop movement skills, muscles and bones
  • reduce the time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity. Aim to spread activity throughout the day

Children and young people aged 5 to 18 who are living with a disability should:

  • aim to do 20 minutes of physical activity a day, splitting this into smaller chunks of activity throughout the day if needed
  • do challenging but manageable strength and balance activities 3 times a week

What counts as moderate activity?

Moderate intensity activities will raise your heart rate, and make you breathe faster and feel warmer.

One way to tell if you're working at a moderate intensity level is if you can still talk, but not sing.

Children and young people should do a range of different activities across the week.

Examples include:

  • walking to school or walking the dog
  • playground activities, including jumping, running and catching
  • physical education
  • sports, like football or tennis
  • swimming
  • skipping
  • dancing
  • skateboarding or rollerblading
  • cycling

What activities strengthen muscles and bones?

Examples include:

  • gymnastics
  • football
  • jumping
  • martial arts
  • sit-ups, press-ups and other similar exercises (for young people)
  • resistance exercises with exercise bands, weight machines or handheld weights (for young people)

Exercising safely

Children and young people should:

  • get medical advice about exercising if they have a health condition
  • do exercise that is suitable for their age, ability and experience
  • start any new exercise slowly and increase it bit by bit
  • use protective equipment, for example for cycling and skateboarding

Young people can use weights for resistance exercise if a qualified adult trains them to use weights correctly and supervises them.

Finding out about activities in your local area

Youth Hubs contain information and advice about education, health, help finding work, and preparing for adult life. They also have details of a wide range of social, art and sporting activities in your local area. Your local youth hubs can be found here:

Becoming a young person and teenager can be an exciting, confusing and joyous. At times you may feel anxious or depressed for a number of different reasons (e.g. hormonal changes, life changes, difficulties with school or friendships). There are organisations that can support you through this time. 

Best for You includes information about mental health, digital tools for anyone in the UK, and personalised mental health services for young people in North -West London. On this site you can find tools to help you cope when things feel overwhelming as well as wide range of resources to support your well-being.

Young Minds can provide you with the tools to look after your mental health. The website contains also contains information for your parents or professionals working you. 
There is a specific section on autism and mental health.

Childline’s Calm Zone recognises that everyone has different ways of helping themselves feel calm and you need to find what works for you. The site offers ideas to feel calmer including breathing exercises, activities, games and videos to help let go of stress.

The NHS site Every Mind Matters has videos for all sorts of tips on exercise, sleep and how to take care of yourself on social media. 

Teenage girl with pink hair in bedroom listening to music on mint green headphones